An archetectural rendering is on display during a groundbreaking event Thursday, January 29, 2026, for the Martin House Children's Advocacy Center expansion project. (Les Hassell/News-Journal Photo)The Martin House Children’s Advocacy Center in Longview celebrated the beginning of construction Thursday on a new facility to serve abused children and their families. The larger building will be 10,000 square feet – almost three times the space of the current facility on Garfield Drive. The nonprofit organization has said the new facility will accommodate a growing need in East Texas. Martin House is one of 72 child advocacy centers in Texas and about 800 centers nationwide.